Tennessee becomes second state to ban trafficking in minor abortions

Tennessee is now the second state in the country to ban the trafficking of abortions on minors, and it's a welcome development.

Abortion trafficking occurs when an adult helps a minor obtain an abortion without parental consent.

Since August 2022, continued Eggs reversal, Tennessee's trigger law went into effect, protecting unborn babies from abortion from the moment of fertilization.

This pro-life law allows exceptions, including to save the life of the mother and “to prevent a serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.”

Despite the illegality, abortion rights groups exist within the state and across the country and provide assistance to Tennessee women and minor girls in obtaining abortions in other states.

On its website, Planned Parenthood tells teens: “If you live in a state where abortion is illegal, you may need to travel to another state to have an abortion. » Next, Planned Parenthood offers to help you “make an appointment and pay for travel or other expenses.”

This new abortion trafficking law, SB 1971, prohibits an adult from recruiting, harboring or transporting a minor into the state to obtain an abortion, giving her abortion pills or helping her to get an abortion out of state.

The penalty for trafficking abortions is a class A misdemeanor, which requires 11 months and 29 days in prison.

The measure passed the State Senate by a vote of 26-3 and the House of Representatives by a vote of 74-24.

The impact of this new law could save more than 500 babies per year.

Filing documents submitted by the Tennessee General Assembly's Tax Review Committee reveal that “between 2019 and 2020, there were an average of 507 abortions per year in Tennessee for residents under the age of 18.”

Supporters of the new law say the measure is intended to protect minors.

Statistics on abortion and human aftercare demonstrate that there is a worrying link between the two.

An article published by Loyola University on the consequences of sex trafficking states that of more than 100 women who survived sex trafficking, 66 women reported having 114 abortions. More than 70 percent of women who reported becoming pregnant said it happened while they were being trafficked. Nearly 30% reported having had more than one abortion.

In a report on the state of abortion in America, Heartbeat International cites data from the Charlotte Lozier Institute that suggests one in four abortions are forced or unwanted by the woman. These organizations claim that easy access to the abortion pill allows abusers to take advantage of women. It is said that these pills are forced on women without their consent.

Supporters of the new law also say it is necessary to preserve parental rights. They argue that abortion rights groups are attempting to usurp the authority that parents rightly hold to direct the medical treatment of their minor child.

Opponents plan to file a complaint against this measure before it comes into force on July 1, 2024.

Last year, Idaho became the first state in the country to ban abortion trafficking. Anti-abortion activists immediately challenged the law, and it is now blocked until the case can be fully litigated.

Let us pray that more states will have the courage, like Idaho and Tennessee, to protect women and girls from the harms of abortion trafficking.

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